1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for securing a weapon to a platform and more particularly to a weapon mounting system having a cradle that is readily secured to a machine gun or rifle having a pair of spaced attachment points and a base mount portion that permits the cradle to rotate around two spaced axes for rapid aiming of the weapon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many weapons, particularly those suited for use in military operations, have a size and weight that prohibits them from being employed by a user because they cannot be accurately aimed or stabilized without being mounted to a platform of some type, for example the bed of a truck or jeep. Accordingly, mounting devices and other apparatus are often employed in an attempt to serve several objects that are often at cross-purposes: reliably secure the weapon to the platform, enable a shooter to quickly and accurately aim the weapon when needed, and enable the weapon to be readily removed for repair and cleaning.
A wide variety of mounting interfaces have been employed in the prior art solve these problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,694 to Liebig discloses a mounting apparatus specifically suited to a weapon that does not have a forward mount point such as an MK 46 machine gun. This mount secures to the weapon utilizing the ammunition can thereof as an attachment point, and supplies a main coupling that can be attached to an existing tripod or other vehicle mount.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,499 to Grosser et al. provides a mounting apparatus for a weapon that permits its azimuth and elevation to be adjustable by providing trunnion arms at an upper end that engage the weapon trunnions.
While many of these prior art systems provide various types of weapons mounts, they nearly all suffer from several drawbacks. Many prior art systems are manufactured from heavy materials that provides an additional load that the platform must carry. Additionally, a mounting system that weighs a great deal prohibits quick aiming of the weapon which can be an extreme disadvantage in a hostile environment.
Some mounting systems employ weapons attachment apparatus manufactured from aluminum or aluminum alloys that are subsequently bent or otherwise shaped into a suitable configuration for engaging a weapon. However, in many of these systems the mating points with the weapon are not consistently placed, thereby leading to some mounts that don't readily accept or positively secure the weapon on the mount. Furthermore, many prior art systems include a multiplicity of parts that require operator adjustment and that may be broken or misplaced.
Accordingly, there is a need for a lightweight weapons mount system that can quickly accept and positively secure a weapon to a platform, and that provides for rapid aiming of the weapon without the necessity of a great number of parts.